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natural
/ˈnætʃrəl/
existing in or caused by nature
The park is filled with natural beauty.
The park's beauty comes from nature, not human intervention.
general
existing in or caused by nature, not artificial or man-made
She prefers natural ingredients in her cooking.
She likes using ingredients that come from nature, not processed ones.
Often contrasted with 'artificial' or 'synthetic'.
general
normal or expected under the circumstances
It's natural to feel nervous before a big presentation.
Feeling nervous in this situation is normal and expected.
Used to describe typical or instinctive behavior.
Collocations
natural selectionthe process by which organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspringnatural resourcesmaterials or components that are mined (e.g., mineral deposits) or produced by farming and remain unprocessednatural disastera catastrophic event caused by natural processes of the Earth
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Common Usage
Use 'natural' to describe things that come from nature or are typical and expected.
Gold Rule
Avoid Redundancy
Avoid phrases like 'natural habitat' or 'natural resources' as they are redundant.
Word Origin
From Middle English *naturale*, from Old French *naturel*, from Latin *nātūrālis*, from *nātūra* (nature).
Usage Notes
Can describe things that are either from nature or that are typical and expected.
Word Breakdown
nat-
birth
root-ural
pertaining to
suffixEnglish Dictionary